This invention relate to a hand tool and more particularly to a tool and a method for manually adjusting brake shoes by rotating the adjusting wheel (or star wheel) of a vehicle brake.
Vehicles utilizing drum/shoe-type self-adjusting brakes operate such that as the brake shoes wear, an adjusting mechanism operates to reduce the clearance between the partially worn brake shoe and the interior surface of the brake drum. A common method of achieving self-adjustment in brake shoes is to utilize an adjustment screw means, such as a star wheel, that is held in a fixed position by an adjusting lever (or pawl) which is spring biased against the adjusting screw or engageable peripheral projections of a star wheel.
To accomplish proper adjustment of the brake shoes the mechanic must initially insert a first tool into the brake mechanism which deflects the spring-biased pawl from engagement with the adjusting screw, and then insert a second tool which allows the mechanic to rotate the adjusting screw or the star wheel to accomplish the necessary brake adjustment. Upon making an adjustment, the tools must then be removed from the brake so that the brake drum may be rotated and the degree of clearance assessed by the mechanic. The repeated insertion and removal of tools as well as the limited space for accomplishing the adjustment maneuvers can create a tedious operation.